This is one other review I wrote for the February edition of the Game Console magazine, Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony for the PSP. The February issue is now out in stores in New Zealand.
Dungeon Siege – Throne of Agony Review – PSP
Reviewed by Julie Gray
Review originally published February Issue of Game Console magazine, 2006
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: SuperVillain Studios
Scheduled release date: Out (February 2007)
Players: Multiplayer capability
Genre: RPG
Official Website:
http://www.2kgames.com/throneofagony/throneofagony.html
The Dungeon Siege series of games is well known to PC gamers but this marks the first move from PC gaming to handheld console for the popular franchise. Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony has quite a legacy to live up to and with the portability option to play anywhere at any time, the land of Aranna awaits you; whether you’re in a bus or sitting in traffic.
It’s nice to see that Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony has its own storyline and characters. Although the feel of the game is very much the same as its predecessors, the nifty addition of comic book style cut scenes really gives it a unique flavour all of its own. The animation is very reminiscent of the animation used in X-Men 3 the Official Game – minus the cheesy game dialogue and poor voice acting.
The adventure in Aranna begins with the character select screen. There are three unique characters to choose from in the game; a Battle Mage, Stalker (Rogue) and Warrior. Each character has different attributes, strengths and skills so choose wisely. Playing the Battle Mage seemed like fun so off we went, trusty stave in hand to ward off evil demons and obtain copious amounts of loot. One of the cool aspects of Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is that you’re never really alone in the game because you also get to choose from two companions called ‘Followers’ who have the rather interesting task of standing between you and death every step of the way. And just like their master, the followers also get to advance in the game and gain skill points to add to their skills and abilities.
Each character has a background story to follow which leads to different phases of the game and game progression. As the battle mage, Allister, you’re off to risk your life for a woman you feel compelled to rescue and return safely home. Your adventures take off from there where you are put the test to survive whatever the wilderness can throw at you. All manner of beasties will require culling and many of these beasts will be familiar to Dungeon Siege enthusiasts. Using a combination of magic and staff wielding, you and your follower make your way to Seahaven to complete the first of many quests.
The quests are managed extremely well within the game. In the character options screen (which you can access by pressing the select button), you can add points to your abilities, view you inventory and equipment, change equipment and even view your follower’s points and abilities. This is also where your game progress is recorded under quests and you can easily assess where you need to go next and how many tasks are remaining to complete the quest you’re on. There are side quests which are all important if you want to progress and level up. With each new level, you receive skill points and the ability to wield better weapons, equipment and of course, cast better spells. The game itself is all about how many beasties you can kill and how many quests you can complete to gain the next level of competence. The progression tree in this game is well developed and is a lot easier to navigate than other games we have played in the same genre.
Graphically, the game looks great. The amount of detail that has gone into both the animation of the characters and the environment is really impressive. Snow falling on your characters’ head as you traverse the terrain looks real enough to make you shiver and the crystal clear display of the PSP accentuates the power of the small handheld that much more. The sound and music is also top notch with many of the tracks from the original Dungeon Siege game completing this action-packed package.
The voice acting and game dialogue is seriously lacking in cheesiness which we were very relieved to see. Similar games have been dogged with bad dialogue and poor voice acting and no matter how good the game plays, the cut scenes become a lesson in frustration. Not so with Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony.
Two difficulty modes (Mercenary and Elite) allow you to play as casually or as hardcore as you wish. And with 15 hours of game play time and the possibility to advance your character to unimaginable heights, Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony is sure to keep the most hardcore of RPG gamers in blissful rapture, anywhere they want to play.
